A Walk in the Woods (Skye & Pup)

[Skye Pilot]

It had been some time since Adonis had traveled to the surface. Coming out of the cave that led back into the depths of the earth, he found himself coming out into the woods. He had expected to come up in some city sewer, like most of the passages to the surface seemed to do. Adonis had never been in a forest before, though he had heard about them. The scents and smells that lingered in the air intrigued him, so he decided to explore for a while. A frown came over his face with the first step out of the cave. He had forgotten just how bright that sun could be. Reaching into the inner pocket of his vest, Adonis pulled out his dark shades, putting them on.

Every step he took, the grass turned brown and withered. Anytime he reached down to touch a flower, it would dry up completley. Adonis smiled to himself, the delicate and pure nature about him suffering under his dark powers. He placed his hand flat on the trunk of a tree, every single leaf shriveling and turning brown all at once, fluttering down like confetti. Some of the dead leaves got caught in his long and flowing white and silver hair, but most piled up in a large mound around the base of the tree, and his boots.

After some time, of wondering around, Adonis heard a sweet, melodic singing. Curious as to what sort of soul he might encounter out here, he followed the sound of the song. As he got closer to the singing, he found himself going into a small clearing. In the middle of the clearing, sitting on a stump was the singing girl. Adonis had come into the clearing behind her, obviously unnoticed. Swishing his spade-tiped tail, he looked over the pretty little thing, keeping quiet until her song was over. "My, that was very lovely," he said, just knowing that would be enough to startle her.

 

[Cheshire Pup]

The forest was quiet; there was no sound of birds singing their songs or squirrels in the trees. No creatures playing in the forest, the only sound that was to be heard was the song of a young demon. She sat in the middle of a clearing that had not always been so clear. The area around it was just dirt and in the very middle of it sat a large stump on which the demon sat upon. Her long, spade tipped tail swayed gently behind her as she sung her beautiful song in a voice that one would expect form an angel, not a demon. It seemed that the ground didnâ??t wither around her like it did the other demon, as if she wasnâ??t evil and with a voice like hers she may not be.

Her back and arms had tribal tattoos on them but the markings would be near impossible to recognize, they were from a tribe that was believed to have died off over a hundred years ago. They had been a tribe of demons that chose to live in the forest rather then inside of the earth. Not many followed this path but there were many strands of demons that had originated in this very tribe, demons such as sirens, harpies, nagas, though were now so distant many forgot that the link even existed. But these marking were not from a branch of it, they looked like the real thing.

Her skin was tanned form the sun, not a single tan like, which was to be expected since she was wearing no clothing, her hair was blonde, most likely also from exposure to sunlight. These things were rare in a demon, blonde hair and tan skin, white or black hair was much more common and there was never a demon with a tan. Long horns grew towards the back of her head and the pointed ends of her long ears pointed in the same direction. It seemed that she hadnâ??t noticed him since her song went on as he approached her.

It didnâ??t last that long after that and when he spoke she damn near jumped out of her skin. She jumped up on top of the stump and she spun around to look at him. The girl was naked and still had no tan lines but she didnâ??t even seem to notice her own nudity in the presence of his clothed form. She didnâ??t say anything, her red eyes looking him over. She knew that he didnâ??t belong here in and instant. â??What are you doing here?â? She asked him. He didnâ??t belong here, his very being here killed the plants and if he recognized the parking on her back and arms then he would know that she didnâ??t like that.

 

[Skye Pilot]

Adonis stood there with a happy smirk, looking just over the top rim of his sunglasses. A small gust of wind passed through the clearing, making the green leaves rustle about, while his long silver and white hair drifted lazily in the wind. A few of the dead leaves from earlier fluttered out of his hair with the breeze, scattering about the clearing. The studs on his simple collar seemed to glimmer and catch the light, making them seem more polished than they actually were. The bottom of his leather vest danced around with the pushes of moving air, the inner, pale red covering staying tight to his toned chest. Reaching down, Adonis plucked the pocket watch from his belt, gazing down to it for a moment. He really didn't care what time it was, but he looked more out of habit than anything else. Looking back up to the demon girl, Adonis took another step forward, putting his watch in place.

Taking off his glasses, he tucked them back into the inner pocket of his vest. Adonis crossed his arms, cobalt eyes looking over the naked demon, assessing her completley. "What am I doing here?" He asked, repeating her question, as if he was annoyed by it. Rolling his eyes, he shook his head. "I'm just out for a little walk," He mostly lied, having come to the surface here accidentally. "All that sulfur and brimstone was giving me a headache," Adonis said, trying to hold back a chuckle. "What's more important though, is what are you doing here?" He continued, trying to turn the tables.

Adonis was well versed in many dialects. Human, Demon, Angel, and everything in between, both written and spoken. He had seen tatoos and markings like hers before, but nothing exactly like this. Every since he stepped into the clearing and saw the markings on the demon girls back, he had been trying to decipher them in his. He knew of the Naga serpents, the overly annoying Sirens, and the thieving harpies. Adonis had translated books written by all of them. But this girl... she was a mystery. A few languages came close, but her symbols were unique, lost and forgotten over time.

Taking a stab in the dark, Adonis sighed, trying to still seem annoyed by her single question. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" he asked, his cold and clammy skin seeming even more pale under the natural light. "I thought those pesky humans killed off your kind some years ago," Adonis continued, not sure how she might react if he was wrong. Looking up to her, his deep blue eyes almost seemed to sear into her own, demanding an answer.

 

[Cheshire Pup]

She listened to his answer but she didnâ??t believe him for a second. Demons like him didnâ??t just come to the surface for walks. They usually got lost and ended up here. She seemed to get more defensive as he spoke, she didnâ??t like dealing with those that worked with fire and brimstone. Those were usually demons of hell; a place that she wanted nothing to do with. Then he questioned her and she glared at him.

She didnâ??t answer him at first. She felt his eyes looking over her body, examining every inch of her exposed shin, which would be all of it, and she didnâ??t like it one bit. It seemed as though she was growing more self conscious of her current state, caring more and more that she lacked the fabrics that would hide her from the demonâ??s prying eyes. She didnâ??t like that one bit. She had not needed any form of clothing before. Being by herself she didnâ??t need to worry of what others thought but now that he was here she was suddenly missing the cloths she tossed away and it suddenly became a few degrees colder then it had once been.

His next question surprised her. Yes, she was supposed to be dead, her whole race was supposed to be dead. But it wasnâ??t. The humans had failed at whipping out her kind but that didnâ??t mean there were many left. She had not seen another is many years, for all she knew she could very well be the last. â??Arenâ??t you supposed to be under ground?â? she asked him before she turned and walked out of the clearing. She didnâ??t want to play these games; she just wanted to get as far away form him as possible.

 

[Skye Pilot]

Adonis chuckled, watching the demon girl as she huffed out the question, trying to dismiss him completley. Her little antic only made Adonis even more curious about this rare find. He followed as she hopped off the stump and made a quick exit of the clearing. Each step he took on the grassy forest floor ended in a dry crinkle of brown grass, the sound of which he knew she could hear, and maybe even feel the pain, now that she knew he was here.

"I'm supposed to be where I am supposed to be," He responded to her question with a slight smugness, even if he was more than a little lost. As she walked, Adonis was able to get a better view of the blood red markings on her back, though it didn't help at all. He had no clue what they might mean, or represent... the only thing they meant to Adonis now was that they were very old, and that the demon girl was much older than she appeared. The demon girl was an absolute mystery to him, a mystery part of him wanted to solve... but the overwhelming consensus of his thoughts shouted out to him about the price such a find would fetch in the slave pens down below. Then again, Adonis was a collector of sorts himself, and what could be better than having a living artifact?

For now, he shrugged off those thoughts as he kept up pace with the naked demon girl, following her along the trail she took, watching her tail swish in agitation. "You never answered my question though," He reminded her. "I answered, now it's your turn," he smirked to himself, knowing by just being here he was pushing the boundaries. But, by antagonizing her little by little, he knew it would bring her to her breaking point, something he was curious to see. "Like I asked, aren't you supposed to be dead? Your kind is just a footnote in all the books I've read," Adonis told her, not sure what kind of response that might solicit.

 

[Cheshire Pup]

She could fell his eyes on her, she could feel them not leaving her body and roaming the exposed skin as they pleased. She hated it. There was just something wrong about him. He didnâ??t being here, that much was clear from the way that the forest rejected him, dying at his touch and making her feel sick. She could feel him following her, it was easy to detect his footprints with the spots that suddenly died in the forest. She could hear it and feel it in her stomach, it didnâ??t seem like he was going to stop so she spun around in place, glaring at him. She didnâ??t want to be with him there but wherever she tried to go he followed and if he didnâ??t stop them it would not be long before she became physically ill.

She glared hard at him, clearly pissed and wanting him to leave. She heard what he had said, every word, but she had been ignoring it until now. â??Iâ??m surprised that I am even in any of your stupid books but what surprises me more is that you stupid underworlders have become intelligent enough to read!â? she yelled at him, she wanted him gone and calmly walking away wasnâ??t going to work. She wasnâ??t sure how to get rid of him but at least she could tell him off. â??You are not supposed to be here! You and I both know that! Anywhere you touch, anywhere you step, it dies! There is nothing here for you demon! Leave and donâ??t come back!â? she yelled at the man.

After this she ran, able to move at am amazingly quick pace through the treacherous landscape that would be near impossible for anyone else to navigate. She moved quickly and swiftly, like a deer, and was hoping deep down that if the demon lost sight of her then he would leave and go back to his whole and then she would be fine there in the forest and he would stop killing it.

 

[Skye Pilot]

It was clear to Adonis that he had clear struck a nerve or two with the demon girl. Perfect, just what he wanted to do. He happily followed along behind her, listening to her yelling and screaming, only finding it all rather amusing... and cute in a way too. He smirked to himself, plucking his watch from his pocket once more, and then looking back to her mid-rant. But, right as he felt it was his turn to make some sort sarcastic retort, the demon girl was fleeing, as fast as her little bare feet could take her.

Adonis crossed his arms in front of his chest, starting to plan out his pursuit. She obviously knew the forest much better than he did. Running after her would only wear them both out. Letting her get a good head start, he started to follow her tracks, as light and hidden as they were. Her footprints seemed to blend in with everything else, and her light weight didn't help much either. He followed the vague tracks at his own swift pace, as they zigged and zagged, back and forth through the trees and brush. Adonis could still sense her, still feel there in the woods... but just where that was at this point, he was uncertain.

Day turned into afternoon as he tried to find the girl, which seemed to be increasingly more difficult. The long shadows of the large trees only made tracking her even more difficult, almost impossible. He hadn't really expecting his playtime to become quite so involved, but with so much effort already invested, he wasn't about to give up until he found her... or maybe she would find him.

With another smirk of his own delight, Adonis called out. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," his dark voice had a cheerful tone about it, the words sent out through the forest. Placing his palm against the trunk of an oak, he heard the wood creak as it instantly dried, followed by the green leaves shriveling up, falling to the forest floor. He repeated with several more trees, draining them of their life. "I'll find you little girl..." he said out into the open air, knowing she could hear him. "...even if I have to kill every tree in this forest," He sad with a happy tone, wondering how many more trees it might take before she showed herself.

 

[Cheshire Pup]

She ran quickly, her feet were true and she knew her way around the forest. She knew every leaf and root of this place. He didnâ??t have a chance to finding her on foot. Not only that but everywhere that she stepped was a place that was hard for them to be spotted. Her light weight and knowledge of the terrain would make her an impossibly target to follow, he would have to give up on her eventually and she could wait. Or so she thought.

Time went by and the man didnâ??t stop looking. Being able to feel the death his footsteps left it was easy for her to avoid him. It had been morning when this whole thing started but by now it was getting late. She had been feeling sick all day because of the death he was causing in her forest but she had managed to find some clothing that she had stashed away incase she wanted or needed it. A top that left her stomach and most of her back exposed as well as a skirt, they seemed to be made for only covering what needed to be covered. Along with that there was a cloak. The outfit was made from deer but the cloak seemed to be made for when thing got cold since it was made from rabbit.

She kept a close eye on him but stayed hidden, she didnâ??t want to be seen but she didnâ??t trust him in her forest. She heard him and she shuttered. Why couldnâ??t he just leave? What he did next nearly made her fall right out of the tree she was sitting in. He put his hand on an oak and drained it of its life. It was not long after she climbed down that she became sick. He was leaving a whole spot dead. She got sick a few more times before he finally stopped. By now she was breathing heavily, she heard what she said and though she was angry with him and she didnâ??t want to give in she didnâ??t have much of a choice, she couldnâ??t let the forest die because she was stubborn.

She walked out of her hiding place and looked up at him. She glared at him, hating him with every bit of her small body. Her hood was down but when she stood still the cloak wrapped around her and kept her covered from his eyes. â??What do you want with me?â? she demanded, hoping to get this solved before he killed more trees and made her sick again.

 

[Skye Pilot]

Adonis heard the demon girl climbing down a nearby tree, followed by her feet hitting the cool grass as she finally got to ground level. With a devilish little smirk, he let his eyes fall shut, lowering his head as well. The pale flesh of his hand stayed on the most recent oak tree he had picked, the last of it's leaves falling in the late afternoon light. It was starting to resemble late Autumn in this part of the wood, even if the rest of it was thriving in the early summer weather.

Letting the demon girl yell at him again, Adonis opened his eyes. His fingers stayed on the tree, sharp fingernails starting to scratch down it's dry dead trunk, leaving a deep scar in the bark. He was a little surprised to see her in clothing, then again it had become cooler with the passing day. All of it was clearly handmade, tailored to fit her body just perfectly. Somehow, the fuzzy skirt and top only made her appear more attractive to Adonis now, even if he had seen her completley naked not to long ago. The cloak to him seemed to be for either the cold weather, or for camouflage in the bushes and brush.

A crow called out in the distance, while he let a second or two pass before he responded. His gaze stayed on her eyes, solid and cold. Just before he felt she was ready for another outburst, he finally spoke. "What do I want from you?" he asked, almost rhetorically, plucking another dead leaf out of his white and sliver hair. "A name would be nice... Oh, and a chance for me to say what I have to say, before you run off to play hide and seek..." Adonis chuckled, and shook his head. Turning his back on the girl, he started to walk around the tree, his fingernails scrapping the bark as he moved. Stopping at the opposite side, he leaned against the tree, looking down to the girl again. He was now in the shadow of the tree, feeling his strength grow, standing in the darkness the dead tree cast onto him.

Closing his eyes, Adonis rolled his head from side to side, feeling his neck pop several times. Opening his eyes back up, his cobalt hues seemed to glow now. "...and you are also on the list of things I want," he continued, his voice stronger, deeper now. "I always get what I want, even if I have to chase it down, and capture it... seems we are halfway there already," Adonis chuckled again, his laugh making nearby leaves shiver.

 

[Cheshire Pup]

Her forest, the area looked dead and she still felt sick. It was like autumn. It made her feel sick and hurt her emotionally to see her beautiful forest like this before it was supposed to be. She saw his hand, still on the beautiful oak, her anger boiling inside of her but after yelling at him she did her best to keep her cool, she needed to keep him from killing any more trees. She watched him scratch the dead trunk, wincing slightly as he did so.

She watched his movements, not trusting the man. Then again she had every right not to. He could hurt her by killing her trees and it didnâ??t matter how far she fled she couldnâ??t take them with her. He found a weakness and she knew that he had no problems exploiting it. He wanted her name, this surprised her, she had to think for a few moments to remember it. With no one here to call her by her name it was just a little thing that she never really needed to remember. He laughed, more like a chuckle but she still didnâ??t like him laughing. Demons only laughed when they felt that they had the upper hand. That was something she never wanted to give him.

She watched him walk around the tree and stand in the shade and she frowned, he would probably get stronger in the dark. She wished that she could have gotten rid of him before the shadows appeared to make him stronger but right now she was still unsure of how to make him go away. She heard his neck pop and she watched him carefully, she saw how his eyes now seemed to glow and she didnâ??t like that one bit. Her eyes widened at what he said next. He wanted her? Her?! She took a few steps back, standing in the direct sunlight that had been let through after he killed the trees. â??Me?â? She glared at him, â??You canâ??t have me!â? She yelled at him. She didnâ??t like where this was going and if he took another step towards her she was going to flee again. She wasnâ??t going to be his and this time, no matter what he did, if she started running she wasnâ??t coming back.

 

[Skye Pilot]

Adonis stood there in the shadow, feeling the air grow cooler about him as the day started to drag closer to sunset. "Oh, you are mistaken, little one," he said coyly, swishing his spade tipped tail back and forth behind him. "I will have you, even if it means placing a curse on your precious forrest... or what's left of it..." He smirked again, letting the tip of his tail kick up a few dead leaves from the ground, as if she needed a reminder of what he had so far done today.

Taking in a deep breath, Adonis raised a flattened palm to his lips. Softly, he blew against the pale surface of his skin. His breathe turned into a blue haze. Wisps of the smoke moved forward toward the demon girl, circling around her wrists and ankles. The haze seemed to tighten in against her tanned and marked flesh, wrapping further up her arms and legs. When the smoke reached the extent of her appendages, it halted it's movement. The wisps stayed right where they were at, tightening around her skin, squeezing against her. The distinct scent of Adonis's dark magic wafted up, smelling slightly of wood ashes, along with a mix of exotic potions that could only come from under the surface.

"Now, I don't think you will be running off on me now, hmm?" Adonis chuckled again, quite happy with the demon girl's sudden predicament. Even though her movement wasn't completley held back by his magic in the waning daylight, it would be enough to keep her mostly in place. Then again, he had no idea the extent of her own magic, or even if she had any at all. Adonis shrugged the thought off, knowing that as long as he could wait until sunset, his own abilities would become much stronger than they were in the dim shadow.

Adonis kept right where he was, as the binding smoke lifted up the girl, bringing her to his feet. "Now then..." he said, patting the top of her head. "Where should we start our date?" He chuckled again, ruffling her hair up. "I've already had a loveley tour of the woods... perhaps you would like to see where I live, and meet some of more distant cousins, hmm?"

 

[Cheshire Pup]

She glared at him. She couldnâ??t have him put a curse on the forest but could he? Last she heard the demons underground were a bunch of squabbling idiots. They couldnâ??t even read let alone master that kind of advanced magic. She looked at his tail, watching it flick the leaves. Higher level demon usually had that kind of tail. She flicked her own. She had her own magic but her magic was opposite to the demonâ??s below. Ife and light fueled her magic, right now she was standing in an area or dead trees and it was getting dark. It was getting dark!

Her eyes widened with the realization and she turned to run but she was a second too late. Wisps of blue smoke were already around her ankles and wrists, pulling them together and causing her to loose her balance and fall over. She squirmed, trying to break out of this magical hold. She looked up at the sky, it was filled with the distinct colors of sunset. She looked around at the trees. Dead and unable to aid her in her struggles. She had to try something, she began to gather up her magic two and get away when suddenly she was lifted off the ground.

She tried to bite his hand when he patted the top of her head. This was beyond demeaning. He was patting her head and ruffling up her hair. â??This is not a date.â? She growled the words, hating him more with each passing second. That hate changed to fear the second he mentioned bringing her underground.

She didnâ??t belong down there any more then he belonged up here. She needed the sunlight and the life to use her magic. Down there she would be practically powerlessâ?¦ which is exactly what he wanted. â??Go back to hell.â? She told him through her teeth as she cast her spell. From underneath the cloak a large set of wings appeared. With one harsh flap she was able to push herself away and more then likely push him off his feet. She flapped her way into the sky, getting what was left of the rays of the sun she managed to break through the blue mist. After that she began to fly West.

She knew that if she could get further west she would be in the sunâ??s rays longer. That would allow her to use more of her magic and keep him form using his.

 

[Skye Pilot]

Adonis was enjoying his little game with his new little "friend", just loving how he was pushing all the right buttons. He could tell she was beyond furious with him, well before she told him not so kindly to go back home. He could feel the rage in her little imp body, along with the hate that came right along with it. The blue glow in his eyes seemed to be a little brighter, as he fed on such exquisit negativity. The haze around her body was sucking that energy out of her, like a leech. So wonderful it tasted, so delicious it made his body tingle with delight. Adonis was ready encase the rest of her body with his fog, wanting to feel more of her despise... but apparently she had other plans.

Quicker than he had realized what had happened, she had already flown to the canopy level of the forest, and it didn't look like she was planning to stop anytime soon. Adonis was utterly speechless, something that had not happened except for a handful of times over the centuries. No one else had ever broken free of his grasp. Her wings split right through the haze, and with the first flap, broke completley free. The force of the air coming down from her wing dissipated the cloud, like it was never even there. With his jaw agape, he watched her start to fly up and away. Blinking a couple of times, he was completely quiet. Then, he let out another loud chuckle.

Oh, she was a fighter. That only made their game so much more fun. It had been some centuries since Adonis had found a soul with such strong spirit. He would be able to feast like the highest of the Demon lords, gorging himself on her energy. Such a delicacy that would be. He wasn't about ready to let a treat like that just fly away. Tearing off his leather vest, Adonis hunched over with a groan. Straining the muscles in his back, the skin started to crack and buckle, as his own wings erupted. Blood flowed freshly down his back, leaving long crimson streaks on his flesh. He spread his wings out wide with a stretch, have not used them in some time. Jumping up into the air, he lifted from the ground, flying after the demon girl in hot pursuit.

Quickly, he flew up above the trees, starting to follow. With a grunt, Adonis put his arm up in front of his face, squinting painfully as the rays from the setting sun nearly burned out his eyes. This little girl was much more resourceful than he had her pegged for. Instinctively, he reached down for where he kept his sunglasses, only to realize he had left them in his discarded vest. Going back to get them now would only give her an even more generous head start than she had already. He would just have to endure the pain of that disgusting, glimmering sphere. The girl only seemed to keep going and going, making it more of a struggle for him to follow. Flying west would only giver her more time to fight him off, along with weakening him. The tables had certainly flipped.

It was time for him to act. Adonis would not be able to stay in flight with the sun forcing his power and strength to wain. Gritting his teeth, he flapped his wings fast and hard, closing in on the demon girl. He was catching up, coming up right behind her. Arms where outreached, his sharp fingernails ready to hook into her. With one final push of his wings, Adonis grabbed at her lower legs, clutching onto them savagely. The sharp fingernails cut and sliced her smooth skin, looking for spots to anchor. Growling angrily, he yelled at her. "I've got you now!"